The SH160i is Vietnam’s status scooter; the Vario 160 is Honda’s value sport 160 - and they share the same 156.9 cc liquid-cooled eSP+ engine family. That makes this the most interesting badge-versus-value question in the range. Figures from Honda Vietnam’s official pages (retrieved 23 September 2026).
Engine
SH160i: 12.4 kW at 8,500 rpm, 14.8 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Vario 160: 11.3 kW at 8,500 rpm, 14.1 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The SH is tuned for more, but the Vario’s figures are genuinely close - the gap in performance is far smaller than the gap in price.
Braking and safety
The SH160i has ABS on both wheels plus HSTC traction control on its Sport, Special and Premium versions - top safety hardware, explained in our HSTC guide. The Vario 160 has front-wheel ABS. Both are covered in our ABS availability guide; the SH is the safety-hardware winner.
Weight, wheels, comfort
The Vario is lighter at 118 kg versus the SH’s 134 kg, with a lower 778 mm seat versus 799 mm - easier for smaller riders and tight traffic. The SH counters with 16-inch wheels front and rear (100/80-16, 120/80-16) - big-wheel stability and presence, the trait behind its image, covered in our 16-inch wheel guide.
Storage and price
The SH’s 28-litre bay beats the Vario’s 17.9, though the Vario’s flat floor carries what the SH cannot. The SH160i Sport lists at 104,490,000 VND; the Vario 160 The thao at 56,690,000 VND. Nearly 48 million dong buys the badge, wheels, dual ABS and HSTC.
Verdict
Buy the SH for status, stability and safety hardware. Buy the Vario for 90 percent of the engine at half the price. Neither is a price-published Nguyen Tu rental model - contact us to confirm current availability.